In his fifth year with the New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson finally achieved his first career triple-double in the team's 124-116 win over the Phoenix Suns. Williamson ended the Feb. 27 victory with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and two blocks.

After the game, Williamson credited his teammates for the achievement when speaking to reporters. The star forward said he has never been one to “force” a stat line before, but his teammates would not let him end the Thursday night game without a triple-double.

“It's funny, there have been so many times when I felt it could have happened, but I never forced the issue,” Williamson said. “Tonight, my teammates were like, ‘Nah, you're going to get it tonight.'”

Williamson could have been encouraged by his teammates, but the performance came naturally. The eight-point game went down to the wire and was not one that allowed him or any other player to “stat-hunt” in garbage time.

The points and rebounds have always been there for Williamson, but his passing numbers have dramatically increased in 2024-2025. The former No. 1 overall pick has a career-high 30.9 assist rate on the year, a significant uptick from the 25.6 he posted in 2023-2024.

The 24-year-old's performance led the Pelicans to their third straight victory and fourth win of their last five games. Williamson was supported by CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III, who pitched in 19 and 18 points, respectively.

The game was the first leg of a back-to-back doubleheader. The Pelicans and Suns will rematch on Friday night under the same circumstances at the Footprint Center.

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Zion Williamson leads Pelicans' late-February surge

New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall (8) and guard CJ McCollum (3) and forward Zion Williamson (1) and guard Jordan Hawkins (24) celebrate during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans at the American Airlines Center.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

After a 10-game losing streak that spanned nearly three weeks, the Pelicans discovered late-season momentum. Led by Williamson, New Orleans has looked arguably as good as it has all season despite its playoff hopes all but dead.

Williamson has unsurprisingly enjoyed his best month of the season in February to lead the Pelicans. He is averaging 25.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in the month with one game remaining. His recent performances also include a season-high 40-point game against the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 2.

The Pelicans' current form comes without Dejounte Murray and Herbert Jones, both of whom are out for extended periods. Both are out for the year after Murray tore his Achilles in late January, while Jones underwent successful shoulder surgery on Feb. 12.

With another win over the Suns on Friday, the Pelicans would tie their season-best with four consecutive wins. Williamson, however, is questionable for the game. He has rested the second game of the majority of the team's back-to-backs on the year.